Death at a Funeral (2007) – Frank Oz

Frank Oz directs this uproariously funny film that puts the ‘fun’ in funeral, and amps up the hilarity by setting it in England. There’s just something horrendously funny about things going wrong around Brits, as they try to maintain some manner of decorum, dignity and civility. Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) is mourning the loss of his…

Double or Die (2007) – Charlie Higson

Charlie Higson delivers another exciting Young James Bond story. But I have to say, his youth seemed pretty adventure-filled. So much so that you have to wonder if he was bored being 007. This one is a bit different, with more clues and intellect involved. The past two adventures saw young Bond going after baddies,…

The Judas Strain (2007) – James Rollins

It’s been quite some time since I dug into a Sigma Force novel, but sometimes you just want to dig into a sprawling adventure. Sigma Force is a super secret arm of DARPA. That means not only do the characters have military training, but they have doctoral degrees, and great science and tech at their…

The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007) – Brian Selznick

I remember being completely enchanted when I realized the movie, Hugo, was not only about a boy who lived in a train station, but about Georges Melies, the famed French director, and his wonderful collection of films. It absolutely swept me up in it’s narrative. But I had never read Brian Selznick’s original book, which…

Ghost Rider (2007) – Mark Steven Johnson

Ghost Rider has always been a cool character to me. Someone stuck in a horrific world filled with supernatural beings and violence, demons and angels, not to mention your common criminal, all coming from one man making a choice based on keeping those he loved safe. As a kid, I thought the character just looked…

Rush Hour 3 (2007) – Brett Ratner

So the racism is a little toned down (not much), but the sexism is still on display as Lee (Jackie Chan) and Carter (Chris Tucker) return for a third (and final?) go-round. Things get underway when Lee finds himself back in Los Angeles, serving as security for his old friend Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma). Han…